Chapter 1497: Elders Council

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Hu Qianxiao said sheepishly, feeling quite dejected. When had he ever been so humble?

Even when facing the Demon Emperor, he was considered an honored guest. At the very least, the Demon Emperor wouldn't kill him without reason, always considering the power of the Tiger Clan and the opinions of other clans. But the situation today was different. Shi Zhentian had just been killed, and killing one more wouldn't be an issue. Moreover, with two Grandmasters on the other side, he decisively chose to yield.

While it cost him some face, what good was dignity if his life was gone? Just look at Shi Zhentian, not far away, whose face had been smashed beyond recognition.

Strangely, no one around him seemed to despise his behavior; instead, they took it somewhat for granted, clearly still shaken by that arrow.

Zu An hesitated. He didn't have any deep-seated enmity with Hu Qianxiao. In fact, during his conflict with Shi Zhentian, this guy had even helped draw some aggro. However, he thought of something else: "I heard you have some connection with the King of Qingqiu Country?"

Hearing his question, several women immediately perked up their ears.

Yu, Yan, and Yun, in particular, who had previously lived in Qingqiu Country, all began to ponder: "We suspected something was going on between him and Tu Shan Yu back then; it seems our suspicions were correct!"

The gossip spirit burned fiercely within everyone else. Tu Shan Yu, the ruler of Qingqiu Country, was widely recognized as a beauty among the demon race. While her title as "most beautiful" might be debated, if it came to "most enchanting," she and the Little Demon Empress were the only contenders in the entire demon race.

However, since the Little Demon Empress was, after all, an empress and possessed a noble, transcendent aura, most people privately discussed Tu Shan Yu more often, frequently referring to her as the "seductive fox."

Though her behavior was by no means licentious, anyone who met her would invariably think of that term. Furthermore, rumors had circulated for years that Tu Shan Yu was Hu Qianxiao's exclusive possession. Many in the demon race had heard of their romantic entanglements, so they never expected to uncover such major gossip today.

Hu Qianxiao quickly explained, "That's even more of a misunderstanding. I once had a romantic relationship with the aunt of the Qingqiu ruler. Out of consideration for old times, I offered some protection to Qingqiu Country to prevent it from being bullied. As a result, some idle people spread rumors, twisting it into all sorts of nonsensical gossip."

Zu An simply said, "Oh," then turned to the Little Demon Empress and her son. "If you wish to pledge allegiance, it depends on whether Her Majesty and the Little Prince are willing to accept you."

Hearing this, Hu Qianxiao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Zu An didn't object, the Little Demon Empress and her group would surely not refuse such a powerful ally. Indeed, the Little Demon Empress nodded and said, "Since King Hu is willing to abandon darkness and embrace light, the Little Prince and I naturally welcome you..." She also offered many words of encouragement, moving Hu Qianxiao almost to tears.

What mattered most was that his life was spared. Alas, it was truly pathetic for a Grandmaster to fall to such a state. However, recalling that terrifying arrow, he still believed his choice was correct.

With Hu Qianxiao's defection, the Golden Crow Guards left by the Crown Prince at the palace gates were no longer a threat and were quickly overwhelmed by the Little Demon Empress's forces.

Lei Xin and Wu Cheng, who had originally been burdened with worries and compelled to support the Little Prince, suddenly felt at this moment that the Little Prince's chances of ascending the throne were growing. Perhaps they could truly become ministers who served the new ruler. As a result, they completely shed their previous despondent attitude and became remarkably proactive and enthusiastic. The other Golden Crow Guards under their command were also invigorated, their morale greatly boosted.

After securing the palace gates, controlling the entire imperial palace became effortless, like breaking bamboo. With the Little Demon Empress's trusted attendant Bi Cui working from inside the palace, the entire imperial palace quickly fell completely under the Little Demon Empress's control.

While her subordinates were fanning out, the Little Demon Empress half-squatted beside her son, pointing at Zu An nearby. "Remember," she said, "if you succeed in ascending to the Demon Emperor's throne, you must thank him."

The Little Prince nodded vigorously. "Godfather's arrow was truly powerful. I want to train with him in the future!"

Seeing her son speak this way, the Little Demon Empress smiled dotingly, her eyes shining as she looked at Zu An.

***

Unlike the smooth progress on their side, the Crown Prince Golden Crow's battlefield was fraught with difficulties.

He dispatched other subordinates in several groups to apprehend the other princes, but he knew who his most important enemy was, so he led his elite forces directly to the Second Prince's residence.

He had expected to catch the Second Prince by surprise, but to his astonishment, the Second Prince seemed to have anticipated everything, having already deployed his troops in the residence, waiting for their arrival.

The two sides engaged immediately, with virtually no preamble.

The Golden Crow Guards under the Crown Prince Golden Crow were elites among elites, but the Second Prince was no less formidable. As one of the Four Renowned Generals of the demon race, his command comprised battle-hardened veterans.

Theoretically, these troops were not his private soldiers, and he could not deploy them without a royal decree. But that was merely in theory.

Over the years, he had secretly won over and bought off a large number of loyalists, quietly turning them into his private army. Tonight, they finally proved their worth.

When the elite Golden Crow Guards clashed with the battle-hardened veterans, both sides employed professional tactics, leaving virtually no weaknesses for the other. It was a constant cycle of charges and flanking maneuvers, a head-on confrontation that instantly turned into a bloody, gruesome spectacle.

The officers and soldiers on both sides came from essentially the same system; what one knew, the other also knew. There was no room for clever tricks; it was simply a test of who would collapse first.

Seeing the battle line stalemated, the Crown Prince Golden Crow's eyelids twitched. This scoundrel was so thoroughly prepared; he truly must have harbored rebellious intentions for a long time.

"Old Wu, help me capture this villain!" he secretly commanded. Everyone understood the principle of capturing the leader first to capture the bandits.

A hum echoed in mid-air, then an elder suddenly materialized and lunged towards the Second Prince. Although the Second Prince was also a master, he was powerless to resist under the terrifying pressure of a Grandmaster.

But at that very moment, another wave of energy spread out, and a figure burst forth from the Second Prince's residence, intercepting Old Wu. The terrifying shockwave generated by their initial clash startled the entire royal court.

The Crown Prince Golden Crow recognized the newcomer, feeling both surprised and furious. "Sixth Uncle," he exclaimed, "isn't the Elders' Council forbidden from interfering in royal court affairs?!"

Some elders of the Golden Crow Royal Clan would enter the Elders' Council, spending years in secluded cultivation within secret mountain realms. Successive Demon Emperors had made an agreement with them: they were only to intervene when the very existence of the demon race was at stake; otherwise, they were not to appear arbitrarily.

Of course, these elders were all nearing the end of their lifespans. They relied on special formations within their respective secret realms for dormant cultivation, which allowed them to live longer. They were naturally unwilling to risk depleting their lifespans by appearing unnecessarily.

Thus, over time, hardly anyone among the demon race would consider them when conducting affairs.

The one called Sixth Uncle was not the Old Demon Emperor's biological brother, but a cousin within the clan who had entered secluded cultivation in the Elders' Council some years ago, which was why the Crown Prince Golden Crow recognized him.

Sixth Uncle calmly stated, "How can this old man stand by and watch you brothers tear each other apart?"

Old Wu retorted coldly, "It's clearly the Second Prince who is deliberately rebelling! Moreover, the Old Demon Emperor has passed away, and the Crown Prince has already ascended the throne as the new Demon Emperor. Sixth, why aren't you coming to pay your respects?"

"New Demon Emperor?" Sixth Uncle scoffed. "Who has recognized that?"

The Crown Prince Golden Crow proudly declared, "I was established as Crown Prince by my father for many years. Before that, I passed the Imperial Mausoleum trial and received the Demon Ancestor's approval. Now that my father has passed away, I am naturally the undisputed new Demon Emperor."

Sixth Uncle glanced at him. "Oh, if that's the case, then surely the Old Demon Emperor must have passed on all his cultivation to you, right?"

The Crown Prince Golden Crow's expression stiffened at these words. This was his biggest weakness. The Demon Emperor had died mysteriously in the secret realm, without having had the chance to transmit his cultivation to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to lead troops to kill his brothers; his powerful Earth Immortal cultivation alone would have been enough to ensure no one in the entire royal court dared utter a single word of dissent.